


On My Mind, On My Screen

by CaraAkame



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, I Don't Even Know, I Don't Know Where This Is Going, I should be doing something productive, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, but here we are
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-03 07:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8702557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraAkame/pseuds/CaraAkame
Summary: Roy and Maes write fanfiction, Al and Winry read fanfiction, Ed does not. Roy likes to base his fics on people that actually exist. He hopes one particular person doesn't figure out he's writing smut about the both of them. That would be really awkward.





	1. Nobody Knows Who You Really Are

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo. Somebody in the YOI fandom wrote a fanfiction where Yuuri writes fanfiction and somehow I felt like I should totally do that in the FMA fandom because it's such a wonderful recipe for disaster. I can't remember what the fic or the author is called, will write it in here once I find it again. I stole your premise, I'm so sorry. It's a really good premise.
> 
> This is unbeta'd.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> PS: None of those pairings is actually a thing yet, but bear with me, okay?

_He took her hand as she was turning away and said: “I know this won’t change anything, but I just have to tell you at least once. I love you. You look so beautiful in your wedding dress. I hope you’ll be happy with him.”_

 

Al reads on his smartphone on his way to class. His brother is sitting to his right, reading yet another textbook as if it was the best romance novel in the world. To his left, their best friend, Winry is holding her phone in her hand, fidgeting in her seat as she stares out of the window.

“What is it, Win?”, he asks her. She startles slightly, as if she had forgotten where she was, before replying: “I wish I could read on the bus too. I hate that I always get so nauseous in motorized vehicles. You know Flame and Green updated again this morning? I didn’t get to read it yet, but the last chapter ended in such a cliffhanger! It’s eating me up inside. I want to know if they actually get together or not!”

Flame and Green are authors on a fanfiction base. The work Al is currently reading is incidentally by Green. Green is the best author on that base when it comes to teeth rotting fluff, and Al just loves it. Flame usually writes E-rated one-shots. The work Winry is referring to was co-written from both, and it’s a very good mix. Al just doesn’t really like smut. It makes him uncomfortable to read somebody else’s dirty thoughts. Winry has no such qualms.

“What was it called, again? _Give me all you’ve got_ or something like that, right?”, Al asks the girl. She grins and says: “Yeah. It’s so weird how Flame always uses OC’s in his works in pairings. Like, I love it, but it’s really a miracle he gets so many kudos when he doesn’t go with the traditional ships.”

Al thinks about that before responding: “Maybe it’s just easier to relate to the characters that way? Because everybody can just imagine themselves in that fic. _Give me all you’ve got_ is set in the Harry Potter ‘verse isn’t it?”

Winry perks up. She loves talking about that particular work. “Yes! It’s set before the books. Like just after Hogwarts was founded. I still can’t decide if I like the potions or DADA professor better. They’re just so much my OTP even though they’re not even in the original fandom.”

Al just smiles at her. He’s long over her, but he still loves seeing her so happy over such small things. He notices they’re almost at the university and nudges Ed, who looks up at him in confusion. “We’re almost there, brother.”, the younger brother says. Edward nods and gets up while continuing to read.

“I swear, one day he’ll be run over by a car. He can’t even walk places without reading.”, Winry says, smiling at Ed. Al knows Winry has a bit of a crush on Ed, but the girl knows just as much as Al does that Ed is not interested in women.

 

Two seats behind the three young blondes sit Maes Hughes and Roy Mustang, not sure if they should start laughing or feel ashamed of themselves. They get up as well. They see those three every day, on this same bus. Roy very much likes staring at the long-haired man’s butt and Maes very much wants to slap his best friend. “Really, Roy. You should just talk to him.”

“Maes, I can’t just go up to him and say: ‘ _Oh hey, I write fanfiction and let out my sexual frustrations on the platform by writing fanfiction smut about the both of us._ ’, and I think if I try to say anything else that exact sentence will come out regardless.”, Roy replies. It’s adorable, really. He hasn’t seen his best friend this smitten with somebody he doesn’t know since high school.


	2. Who Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically backstory and clarification for the chapters to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update, needed a break.  
> If any words are unfamiliar to you (I decided to use some medical terms, since Ed, Al and Winry would be using those), I put them into the end notes. I think most of them you should have at least heard of, but just to make sure :)  
> If you want a better explanation of what they mean, just ask, I'll answer in the comments!
> 
> Unbeta'd.
> 
> This is just some back story in how everybody came to be where they currently are. Creating a setting for my story basically.
> 
> Enjoy!

The first year at university was strange for Ed, Al and Winry. Their entire lives they were inseparable, and suddenly they were not even in the same dorm. Once they got older they were allowed to move into a flat of their own and that made things so much easier.

It’s their last year now. All three started out trying to become doctors, and they got their MD, but only Al is currently specializing in a field as a surgeon and not a researcher. Winry nearly has her MA in Biomedical Engineering by now and Ed is working on his Applied Chemistry MA.

What most people don’t know about the three blondes, is that they all were adopted by Ed and Al’s Martial Arts instructor, Izumi Curtis, and her husband, Sig. After the Elric’s father left them, their mother was diagnosed with cancer and died when Ed was seven. Izumi took them in when she heard.

They spent a lot of time with the Rockbells then. Winry was the only person their age who could hold her own against them intellectually, so of course they became the best of friends after only about a day in school being bored out of their minds. Winry’s parents took them to an amusement park one day when Izumi and Sig had to go out of town for a weekend. It was fantastic. The three of them sat on benches calculating the G’s and such of all the rides before going on them to see themselves. Ed was nine years old.

They were on their way back from the trip, laden up with knickknacks, when the car crashed. It was dark outside already, since it was already winter, and the street was slightly iced over. Add a driver on their phone crashing into the right side of the car, and the resulting crash killed Winry’s mother – who was sitting in the passenger seat – instantly. Ed, who was on the right side of the bench, saw the driver veer off the road and proceeded to try to shield his best friend, resulting in the loss of his left leg and the near loss of his right arm, though the doctors managed so save it. Winry’s father died in the hospital. The driver of the other car came out relatively unscathed. Of _course_. Winry came to live with the Curtis’ after that.

That accident forged the path the three youngsters are now following. They threw themselves into learning anything they could get their hands on, just to keep themselves occupied. When Ed was twelve, they were offered a scholarship to multiple universities.

They all had different reasons why they wanted to become doctors. Winry wanted to find a way to help Ed keep his passion for acrobatics and pay him back for probably saving her from some serious injury that day. Al wanted to save as many lives as he could, and Ed wanted to find a way to save people like his mother.

 

Ed is twenty-one now, and he has mostly gotten over the loss of his leg. He’s just glad he got to keep his arm. From what Winry told him – and he _was_ listening, even if she didn’t think he was – arm prostheses are harder to use. He can walk mostly physiologically, due to extensive training and the best leg modern science can offer, but arms are tricky. Winry likes to ramble about some procedure for upper extremity prosthetics that’s supposed to make everything better, but is still being developed, but Ed stopped trying to follow when she started going on about electromyography.

She also told him that he’s lucky the amputation was relatively low on his femur. The longer the lever, the better the control, or something like that. He doesn’t really care, as long as he can use it.

\-----

Roy and Maes were best friends all though high school and went into politics together. Roy got bored and dropped it after getting his BA, going into Applied Chemistry instead. That’s where he first saw Edward Elric. He first thought that this kid was way too young to be in a Master’s course. Then the professor called on him – ‘ _Dr. Elric, I understand you already know most of this, but please at least act as if you were paying attention?_ ’ – and then Roy was just fascinated. He wanted to ask the young man how old he actually is, if the ‘Dr.’ was for a PhD or an MD, if he wanted to go out for a drink and most importantly what his first name is.

He told Maes, and of course – Maes being Maes – his best friend knew a lot about the kid.

“His name is Edward Elric, he is 19, as far as I know, he got his MD when he was 16, has a brother who is currently also a doctor, but he’s still studying in the Med-wing so I’m guessing he wants to specialize, and that’s about it. There’s a girl that always hangs out with them, different last name, Engineering-wing, no idea what the relation is there. I think they all live together or close to each other, anyway, since they got on the bus together.”

“What bus?”, Roy asks. Maes rolls his eyes at his best friend and replies: “The same bus we use. They were on the same one this morning.”

Roy tries to remember seeing Edward Elric on the bus, but he was too busy being nervous about his first day in a master’s program. “Interesting.”, is all he says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Physiological - healthy, normal; opposite of pathological which means unhealthy  
> Upper extremity - Upper limbs and what's connected to it (so also shoulder, shoulder blade, clavicle in some cases)  
> Electromyography - EMG, basically takes signals your muscles make and you can just look at them to diagnose stuff, or use them to control a prosthesis  
> Femur - Upper leg bone (I hope you know that, if you're a native speaker. I think English schools teach the latin terms for body parts, but Austrian schools usually don't until like 12th grade, so if you're not from an English speaking country you might not know this)
> 
> There will be more words, I will add them to the existing list. If I forget one or you want to know more about them, I will gladly give an extensive explanation about them, especially if they are prosthetics related. 
> 
> In case anybody is wondering: I study Biomedical Engineering and will now make use of all that knowledge. Also: YES, FMA was the reason I started studying it in the first place. I was like "Automail looks cool, we don't have that yet, I will make this."


	3. Have You Met?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maes and Roy write fanfiction. Winry reads that fanfiction. Winry has suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeey, so I know I have been really shit about uploading.... for every work, but especially this one (sorry!)  
> So, RL was stressful, then I was just super uninspired, then RL was even more stressful, and then I was kinda preoccupied and still kinda uninspired. HOWEVER. It is RoyEd day. I have let them all pass so far, and I could not do it again. So here you go, I am not dead, none of my works are abandoned, just need that stroke of inspiration.  
> I have handed in my thesis, the exam is in June. After that I will have so much time. Might still not be inspired, but at least I'll have TIME.  
> I hope this chapter is okay, I kinda wrote it in one go and didn't proofread it or anything.

“ _Professor Eden?_ ”, _a young girl asked the golden haired Potions master._

_“Yes, Miss Gorea?”, the professor replied. “I was wondering, I saw you spar with Professor Friese a few days ago. Why did you go into Potions? You are clearly a match for him.”_

_The young man was flattered, the DADA professor being the only person – apart from his brother and instructor – who could best him. He replied: “When I decided to teach here, Professor Friese had already been hired for the DADA position, and while I could have contested him for it, I was perfectly happy to take the potions job. It is a difficult post to have, as most youngsters are far more interested in learning how to fight. Now, let me ask you a question, Miss. Why do you ask?”_

_Miss Gorea shifted her weight from one leg to the other before saying: “Well, I have to choose my NEWT subjects soon, and I can’t decide whether or not to continue with potions. No offence, professor, it’s just that I am having trouble with my grades as is, and both potions and DADA are difficult. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with the classwork for both. DADA seemed the more reasonable option, seeing as being able to defend yourself is very important, but I simply enjoy potions more.”_

_Professor Eden pondered the young girl’s answer for a moment before replying: “I will always tell you to do what you enjoy most. Of course DADA is extremely important as well. It’s a difficult choice to make. Though, from what I recall, you have excellent marks in both subjects. I would advise you to attempt to do both. You have the OWLs coming up, and if you achieve at least an Exceeds Expectations in both subjects, you will be allowed to continue. Should you do this, both myself and Professor Friese will answer any questions you may have.”_

_The girl looked relived, thanked the professor and left the classroom. With a sigh, the young professor sat in his chair and sent a patronus to the DADA professor._

_‘Hey, Professor Pony, can we talk?’_

_He only had to wait a minute before the reply came._

_‘That nickname never gets old, does it. Is this about last night?’_

_The potions master blushed, sending his reply: ‘You realize everybody could hear this. Not his is not about last night, this is about a student.’_

_After an agonizing minute, the DADA professor sent one last message: ‘Shame. Come by my quarters after dinner we can discuss… the student… then.’_

“Maes, why all the discussion? We ended with Eden walking out on Friese the morning after. Starting the next chapter in a totally different tone feels kinda mean. Where’s the angst? The smut?”, Roy asks his best friend from where he had been reading Maes’ progress over his shoulder.

Maes scowls at his friend and replies: “Not _everything_ is about angst and smut, Roy. We need some fluff and plot that includes other people, or the story gets boring!”

“How dare you, Maes. Angst is _everything_.”, Roy tells his friend who counters: “You had your smut and angst last chapter. We ended the chapter in an angsty cliffhanger. Let the audience _rest_.”

“ _Never_. Besides, like you said we ended on a cliffhanger. Starting as if that cliffhanger never happened seems wrong somehow. Can’t we at least add some angsty inner monologue? Or start the chapter with some Friese inner monologue and then have a ‘ _meanwhile_ ’ thing?”, Roy asks. Maes considers this before conceiting: “ _Fine_. Let’s write some angst then.”

\-----

A few hours later, Winry Rockbell reads angsty inner monologue and _revels_ in it. She lives for the angst. She would never admit it, but the reason she loves this work so much, is that the OC called Eden reminds her of Ed a bit. Or a lot, really. It’s almost eerie. She has a feeling that the authors know Ed. They must. The character is spot on. She wishes she knew who it was. Then at least she could commiserate with them about the unrequited feelings they must share. Though, perhaps this author is male. That would give them more of a chance than her. Considering how clueless Ed is, though, he would probably never realize anyone was crushing on him.

“Hey, Al?”, the blond girl asks the younger Elric, who replies: “Yes, Winry?”

“I need your opinion on something.”, she starts. At Alphonse’s inquisitive look she continues: “So the fanfiction I mentioned. You should read it. Now before you say anything, I know it’s not usually your thing and I would almost recommend you skip the smut, it will make you super uncomfortable, but one of the OCs, Eden, seems very familiar.”

Al looks at her for a few seconds, nods, and looks up said fanfiction. Winry hopes Al agrees with her and that it’s not just her own projection of her feelings onto a fictional character. If the young man agrees with her, they will have to come up with a game plan. This will be _fun_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't say when I'll upload next, it could literally be anytime between tomorrow and eventually. Comments give me life, so the more you comment, the more likely it is that I'll upload soon. This fic is not planned out in the slightest, so if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to happen or literally anything really, or just want to have a friendly chat, feel free to either comment or message me on Tumblr (same username)!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this is really short, I know. I just really don't have time to write, but I need to write because it makes me happy, so that's how we always end up with really short things.
> 
> This will probably end up being way longer than I meant it to be.
> 
>  
> 
> Edit: I have noticed that I am basically Winry just less prone to sudden bouts of crying and yelling. As in I have been shoving pictures of prostheses at one of my best friends for the last few hours and got way too excited.
> 
> Edit: She had class and couldn't even answer and I was probably really annoying. ALSO: I'm doing this verse without Alchemy, so I'm also going to do it without Automail and use modern technology instead, since it's my field of study and I think I can do it justice in the realistic science department. Hope nobody gets mad about that, I just need to vent. What's the point of studying this if I can't even put it in my fanfics, right? :P
> 
> Also did you know there are foot prostheses for high heels? How cool is that?!


End file.
